Cut-off valve



Aug. 12, 1930. l y H. J. MURRAY 1,772,591

cut-on' wmv! I rma umn 51,1921

IN1/mmf? HOWARD J. MURRAY @widow Arm/m 'lil Patented A118112, 1930 UNITEDy PATENT OFFICE( l HOWARD J. MURRAY, or `BnooxLYN,LNEw-Yonk, kAssIaNoiwro HENRY snznmor RADLEY, NEw'Yonx. t

" l l *cur-oFF yALvE vApplication nica narcneigiaza vserial No. iscoss.

The invention relates in: general to a cutoil` valve controllingmechanism ofthe type in which the closure isnormally held by the mechanism in a "preset open position, and designed to be closed throughthev mechanism either by manual actuationfromV a remote point or automatically throughfa rise in temperature in the vicinity of the mechanism.-

The primary object Vof the invention is to provide an extremely simplified form of gas cut-off ofthe type outlined in which the number of structural parts have been reduced to a minimum; in which damaged or worn parts can be readily replaced without difficulty andr without necessity ofvusing special tools to effect the substitution and lin which" ready access is provided for inspection and test.

In'valvesof-this type now in. generaluse there is a tendency in those" cases Where the valve'ismoved by spring pressureinto closed position engagingfits seat that-the valve frequently springs Ybackoff 'its' seat with the result that the valve'cliatters back andforth before closing and'this ineffective closing becomes more pronounced in vthose situations where the valveV or its seat becomes Worn through use or through the corrosive action of the fluidsV passing the 'valve.- It is known in the prior art toprovide for certain ac'- kcurate adjustments forthevalve to insurean c accurate seatingof the same but these devices are commonly in use `for years without t being actuated and the leakage past the valve does not become known until the .emergency which required the closing ofthe valveoccurs. f Accordingly, another' object ofthe invention is to provide for the closing of the valve positively and instantaneous, without possibility of rebound, and toelfect the complete closing of the valve on to its tive of wear between the valve andits seat and independent of any nicety of adjustment of the valve relative'to its closed position.

Still another object ofthe invention and incidental to the desideratum to provide parts which can bereadily replaced, is to provide a valvular unit including the valve per se, its mounting stem and actuating lever armas a single article Yfree of springs iso that the unit mit an easy mounting of the literative position in the act seat irrespec-y or its component parts canvbe easily dismountledffor repairs, for regrinding of the valve or vreadjustment ofthe actuating lever, lwithout necessity of' demounting any spring held parts whichare usually diflicult to manipulate.rv Broadly, this phase ofthe invention is .attained by mounting the valve closing spring as apart not physically connected in any Way to the valvularunit and which operates on the valvular unit simplyb'y pressure bearing against one side of an' actuating arm.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a simplified form of' fusible link conneotor for holding ,the valve in open position and which fusible link connectorand its associated'mountings are designed so as t'o""perconnector in opof replacing anew fuse `for a damaged one. Y c

Another `object of the invention is to pro# vide a simple and easily actuated means 'for releasing the fusible link from a distant station lin releasing the valve to permit it to move 4underfspring tension into its closed position. f A l n AVarious other objects and advantagesoi the invention willbe in part obvious from an inspectionjof they accompanying `drawings and in part will bemore'fully set forth .in the their normal position with lthe valve heldV Open? c Fig. 2 is a view similar to 1 showing the valve in closed'position after it has been released by the manual control from av remote station; and.

following4 particular description of oneform` 1 Fig; 31is a plan view of the device shown A 'in the preceding figures with thevalve controly mechanismand its containing casing shown in horizontal section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings and referring first to Fig. there is shown av valve casing provided with a seat 11 designed to be closed by a valve 12. and which valve is mounted on a rocking arm 13 secured to a valve stem 14`rotatably mounted in bearing 15 forming part ofthe casingl 10 as is usual in such structure.

Y taining casing 16 having an open front'closed a gate or cover 17. The stem 14 projects into the interior of the casing 16 and hassecured thereto two bellcrank levers 18 and 19. y The lever 18 is secured to the stein 14" by means of a key 20so as to rotate therewith as the valve is moved toy and from its seat. One arm 21 of the lever 18 is relatively long, normally depends` from the stem 14 as shown in Fig. 1 and willbe referred to hereinafter as a valve arm. The sides 220i the valve arm opposite the valve seat 11 constitutes a bearing surface adapted to ibe engaged by a `spring pressed actuating arm or cam and will therefore be referred to as a cam surface. 4 v y The other arm 23 of the lever 18 is provided adjacent its outer end with a laterally extending pin 24 for engaging in the eye at one end of a flat replaceable connector 25 Yformed of an easily meltable material and referred to hereinafter.y as a fuse link.` The opposite end of the link 25is provided with an eye 26 engaging a fixed stud 27 p mounted on a block 28 secured to the rear wall29 of the casing 16. From this disclosure it is seen that the `valve is held normally in open position by means of the link 25 engaging Vthe lever 18 at one end and in turn held rigidly in place relative to the casing by the engagementofits other end with the stud 27. The valve is moved into closed position enga `ng its seat by means of a spring actuated loc fng armor cam 30`loosely pivoted 'onia stub` shaft31. extending into the casing` 16 from the rear. wall 29. Thel free end of the arm 3C is provided `with a camming finger 32 which bears on the cam surface22 to move i the-arm 21 of the lever 18 from the position s own in Fig.. 1 into the locked position shown in Fig.`2. A long powerful spring 33 hs one end 34 bearing on a nut 35 forming part of the bearingp 15, `has its intermediate portion coiled about thestuli shaft 31 andv its tliei'id 36baring on the arm 30. r

From this construction, it is noted that normainly' the' point of contact 37 betweenthe y armsm and 30 is `on one side of a line ka b connecting the axes of rotation of the arms, and'thaft this point is on the oppositeside of the linef from the valve seat. In its closing movement-l, the arm 3) exerts' a cumming action on the valve arm 21 vwith the pointfof contact iwrotating clockwise about the cylindrical surface; ot Lthe camming-` linger 32 and moving with a reciprocating `movement iusua'l 'in such constructions;

along the cam surface 22. Further the point of contact moves from one side to the other across the axis line a--b, the movement being intercepted by the engagement of the valve with its seat. As the arm 30 moves towards its final position shown in Fig. 2 it tends to approach a position at right angles to the length of the arm 21 and which position approaching ninety degrees of angle, will be referred `to hereinafter as a` high angle.

As `the arms 30 and 21 assume this high angle any tendency of the valve to reverse its closing movement will be resisted by the mechanical lock provided by the rigid, strong arin 30. Opening strains originating in the valve will be transmitted along the length of the relatively short arm` 30 and transferred directly to the rigid support provided Vby the stub shaft 31. As the arms approach the limits of the high angle the holding effect of the locking arm `3() increases according to the same law andthe Vfinal locking'etlect is substantially independent of `the tension of the valve closing spring 33.

It will be noted from the showing in Fig. 2 that there is the possibility of a rfurther slight anti-clockwise movement of the arm 30 before it wouldleave the cam surface 22.

4This further movement compensates `for any inaccuracies in the position of the closed valve relative to its seatand insures the movement of the valve :on to its seatl without necessity of any accurate adjustments ofthe valve. It is suggested that the cam surface 22h13 rlaid out so as to insure a powerful final. closing movement'of ,the valve in springpreased and mechanically locked engagement with its seat. i The lever 19`fhas` one arm V38 provided with a bifurcated wedge 39,' `beveled endiorlnsv 40 of which are adapted to be movedfromthe inoperative position shown in Fig. 1- into position stafddling the' fixed fuse supporting stud 27 as shown in Fig. 2. During this movement the beveled endswedge' the adjacent exi-dof thev fuse link olth'e studV 27I and thus permits the valve to closeunder action of the spring pressed arm as above outlined.

The other arm/11 of the lever 19 has a iexible `connector 42 attached thereto as particularly -shown in7 Fig.` 3, and entends through a collar 43 on top of the casing 16 toa remotecontrol station as is `usual indevices of this character;`

device functions asis the meltingof the fuse 25 permits the spring 33 to overcome the tension of the spring 44 to force the valve into closed position and eventually into? the mechanically locked positiony shown in Fig.I 2. The mutilated fuse is`replaced` by aly fresh fuse as shown in Fig.` 2 and the device is ready for'l resetting with the' new fuse `heldingthe valve-in open position'asvshownin Fig.'1. .y Y,

hohld-y itl be desired to close the-valve by In operation the securing pin 27 and the valve closes as previously described when released by the melting of the fuse. For the purpose of holding the levers 18 and 19 in their normal position and with the link tripping fork in inoperative position as shown in Fig. 1, a relatively light spring 44 is coiled about the outer end of the stem 14s, has one endengaging the lever 19 as shown in Fig. 3 and has its other end bearing on a stud 45 extending laterally from the side of the lever-18.`

While I have shown and described, and have pointed out in theannexed claims, eertain novel features of my invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and detailsofthe device illustrated and in its operation may bc madek by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of the invention. l Y

Having thus described my invention, I claim: Y

1. In a device ol the class described, the combination of a mechanism containingcasing, a valve stem rotatably mounted in the rcasing and protruding into the interior thereof, two levers mounted on the protrudingend of said stem, one of said levers fined tothe stem, means engaging said last named lever for holding the valve stem in apreset position, said means including a fusible link connecting' the lever with the casing, the other lever provided with wedging means for releasing the link from the casing, manually actuated means operable from a position eX- terior of the casing for moving said wedging means into operative position `and spring controlled means in the casing for rotating the stem when so released.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a fixed support, a valve provided with a stem, a bell crank lever secured to the stem, means acting on one arm of the lever tending to close the valve, a connector between the other arm-of the lever and said iixed support to hold the valve in open position, and a manually actuated releasinglever provided with wedging means for releasing the connector from said Xed support. i

3. In a device of the class described, the

combination of ak support, a pin fixed to the support, a valve, means tending to move the valve on to its seat, means including a fusible link engaging said pin and the first mentioned means for holding the valve off its seat and a Wedgehaving a bifurcated end movable into position to straddle the pin and wedge the link, od the same Jthereby to vpermit-the valve to close, and a spring normally acting on said vwedge to hold the same in an inoperative positionfandmanually actuated means operatively connected to said wedge tomove the same into .its link releasing position against the tension of said spring.

4. Ina device ofthe vclass described, the combination of a support, a pin liXed to the suppornfa valve, means tending to move the kvalve on to its seat, means including a `fusiblev link engaging said' pin andthe first mentioned means for holdingthe valve ofi its seat and a wedge having arbifurcated endfmovable into position to straddle the pin and-wedge,

the link ofi the same thereby to permit the 'valve tov close.

5. In Va device of theV class described, the combination of a valve-provided with a stem having a valve arm, means engaging saldl armandtending to move the valveA into closed position, a fuse link for securing the valve in openposition and a releasing lever pivotyallyv mounted on the stem for releasing the fusellink and thus permit the valve to close. 6. Inga device of the class described, the combination of a valveand its seat, said valve provided with a valve arm mounted for rocking movement, a rigidlocking arm mounted for rocking movement about `a fixed aXis,

having .its freelen'd in bearing'engagement lwiththe valve'arm and tending to move said arm to its valve closing position and to lock .it in such position, and 'disposed to resist along its length the strains incidentalto any tendency of-.the valve tok move ofi' its seat, and releasable means for normally holding the valve inlopen position;

7. Ina device of the class described, the` l combination of a valve and its seat, said valve provided with a valve arm mounted for rocking movement, a spring actuated arm mounted for rocking movement about a liXed axis and bearing on the valve arm; i and tending to move said arm to its valve closing position and to lock it in such position, said arms when the valve is in open positionl extending from their respective axes to one side of a line connecting said axes and movable past said line during their valve closing movement into a valve locking position on the opposite side of said line, and releasable means for normally holding the valve open.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a valve and its seat, spring actuated mechanism tending to close the valve on to its seat, said mechanism including locking means for securing the valve on its `seat with a wedging action held against reisc and releasable means vfor normally holding the valve in open position. y

10. In a device of the class described, the combinationof a valvular unit including a f valve and free of springs, a spring actuated locking device bearing on the unit and tending to move the valve into closed position and for securing the same'locked in such position and releasable means for normally holding the valve open.

11. n a device of the class described, the combination of a valve control including means for holding the valve in open position, manually actuated means for releasing the holding means, spring actuated means acting on saidcontrol for moving the valve towards its closed position when said holding means is released, said spring actuated means providing a camming action for wedging the valve on to its seat.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination of a valve, releasable means for holding the valvefopen, an arm for moving the valve on to its seat, .a pivotally mounted locking arm disposed to one side of said arm andbearing on thesame and tending to close the valve and adapted when vthe valve is closed to extend from said arm at a high angle to lock the valve mechanically on to its seat. Signed-at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 24th day of March, A. D. 1927.

HOWARD J. MURRAY. 

